1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a goods transfer station and to a process for operating such a goods transfer station according to claims 1 and 13, respectively.
2. Description of Related Art
Goods transfer stations for the controlled delivery of goods are important, in particular, in the case of vending machines. The operations of selling and delivering goods by a vending machine take place automatically and are thus not monitored by operators. The problem here is to transfer ordered goods to the customer from a storage region which is not freely accessible, but to prevent possible access to the supplies of goods which have not been purchased.
DE 23 45 177 describes a transfer station for the automatic delivery of goods, in particular bottle crates. The transfer station has a transfer-station channel, which can be closed on both sides by doors. During the operation of discharging goods, in each case one of the doors is closed. The known transfer station has various disadvantages. The separating device and the transfer principle are not suitable for a wide range of goods both of different sizes and with different packaging. There are risks to the user of getting something trapped. Finally, it is possible to access the transfer space and, through the transfer-station channel, the goods magazine from the outside.
The delivery apparatus described in DE 36 06 268 is designed for a goods-containing shaft. The basic principle is only suitable for goods of standard size and with standard packaging. The locking of the delivery opening is relatively complicated and thus susceptible to malfunctioning and possibly vandalism.
In addition, as from a certain size of goods, more stringent requirements have to be met by the transfer station, because the delivery opening is large enough for people or animals to pass through it. This is the case, for example, with an automatic beverage terminal according to WO 96/07993, at which beverage crates are delivered.
International Patent Application No. PCT/CH01/00132, which was not published before the priority date, describes a goods transfer station which, with improved resistance to misuse and operational reliability, can discharge goods of different types, sizes and shapes. In addition to the transfer-station channel, which has an inlet opening and a closeable outlet opening, said goods transfer station has a closing element, which can be introduced into the transfer-station channel and can be moved to the outlet opening. When the outlet opening is open, the closing element separates the inlet section of the transfer-station channel between the closing element and inlet opening from the outlet section of the transfer-station channel between the closing element and outlet opening such that the transfer-station channel is blocked and it is more difficult to act on the inlet section from the outside. The flow of goods through the transfer station takes place exclusively from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. The article here is conveyed to the outlet opening by a conveying mechanism, which may also be realized by the closing element.
The problem here is the relatively long duration of a discharging cycle. A further article can only be introduced in front of the transfer-station inlet and into the transfer-station channel when the latter has been completely emptied.
The object of the invention is thus to make available a goods transfer station and a process for operating the same, by means of which all types of articles, in particular even voluminous or fragile goods, can easily and quickly be delivered in a controlled manner. The intention here is for the process to proceed without any risk to the user (handling safety) as well as easily, quickly and reliably (operational reliability) and for opportunities for the storage region to be subjected to action from the outside to be reduced, in particular for penetration into the storage region to be prevented (resistance to misuse).
This object is achieved by a goods transfer station having the features of claim 1 and by an operating process having the features of claim 13. Advantageous developments of the apparatus according to the invention and of the process are specified in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.
The goods transfer station according to the invention comprises at least one delivery window and at least one conveying space, preferably, in order to increase the cycle frequency, two or more conveying spaces. The delivery window is located in a wall by means of which the storage region which is to be safeguarded is separated from the usually public delivery region. According to the invention, the conveying space can be moved between a loading position and an unloading position. The conveying space has at least one opening which, for the discharging operation, is moved into the region of a delivery window (unloading position). Said opening can be preferably largely completely closed by a closing element and is closed following the discharging operation and prior to the conveying space being moved away. This reduces the risk of someone being able to reach into the conveying space from the outside and of the user being injured as the conveying space moves away. An article is ejected again through the opening by means of a suitable conveying mechanism, the closing element then largely completely closing the opening. The closing element preferably constitutes a moveable wall of the conveying space, e.g., the rear wall, located opposite the opening, of said conveying space. During the discharging operation, the volume of the conveying space is gradually reduced, in order to prevent articles from remaining in the conveying space or from penetrating into the conveying space. The closing element, for this purpose, can preferably be moved in a direction essentially perpendicular to the opening, e.g., in the longitudinal direction of a conveying space configured as a conveying channel. For the ejecting operation, use is made of a conveying mechanism, e.g., a conveying belt on the base of the conveying space. Said conveying mechanism may also be formed by the closing element itself which, for example, ejects the article. The article is preferably introduced into the conveying space and discharged through the same opening. It is possible for the closing element to be assigned directly to the conveying space, e.g., to be formed by a displaceable rear wall, or to be capable of serving a plurality of conveying spaces. According to the invention, the conveying spaces can be moved between an unloading position and a loading position, their opening being located in the region of the delivery window in the unloading position. It is also possible for intermediate positions to be assumed. Different conveying spaces may have the same or different loading positions. In the unloading position, the closing element engages in the conveying space and closes the opening of the latter following the unloading operation. The conveying spaces preferably move horizontally between the loading and the unloading positions since, in this case, no weight-related forces have to be overcome. It is particularly preferable for the at least one conveying space to be rotated between the different positions. For this purpose, it may be arranged on or in a rotary body which is rotated about a preferably vertical axis.
The process according to the invention for operating such a goods transfer station provides that a conveying space is positioned in the region of a loading position and loaded there with at least one article, and then is moved into an unloading position, where the at least one article is ejected from the conveying space for example by means of the closing element or an additional conveying mechanism for unloading purposes. A plurality of conveying spaces are preferably provided and are moved synchronously. For example, one conveying space is displaced from the delivery window to the loading station and the other conveying space is displaced from the loading station to the delivery window, in particular by way of a rotary movement by a common drive. However, it is also possible to proceed asynchronously, this necessitating somewhat higher control-related and drive-related outlay.
The goods transfer station according to the invention and the process according to the invention for delivering articles in a penetration-resistant manner provide a possible technical solution for the cases where a wide range of different, in particular even voluminous, articles are to be delivered in a controlled manner from a closed-off or not freely accessible region, but penetration and access possibilities are to be prevented at the same time. The problem is relevant primarily, but not exclusively, in the case of vending machines. The operations of selling and delivering articles by a vending machine or a similar apparatus take place automatically and are not monitored by operators. It is also conceivable, however, to install the goods transfer station at manned delivery terminals.